haylztalez's review against another edition
3.0
A solid thriller but sorta predictable. I did like the look into the Swedish justice system though
maggymags's review against another edition
4.0
Different. A good story, but the ending felt a little rushed. Good parts were Adam and Stella's stories, but Ulrike's story was almost an afterthought and she got lost in the courtcase.
writing_inthemountains's review against another edition
1.0
Well this book was a wild ride, finished it in one sitting, mostly because I was bored, engaging but wouldn't read it again. My head hurts.
hclayt1's review against another edition
3.0
Wanted to know what happened but was only interested in the daughter part. The father and mother parts were pretty painful to read
elizabethdean's review against another edition
5.0
WOW. THIS WAS UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER. The suspense and surprises in the plot were really engaging. And the characters were great. It’s not even that they were good personalities but they were so complex. It was so well written. I have never read a book in three parts like this. It was so cool. And such a unique way for writing where it wasn’t exactly chronological and multiple stories were being told at once. I did fear towards the end that it would not reveal who the actual murder was. Luckily I did. And I am pleased with who it was and the whole story. It’s really crazy. Their family is so messed up. It was interesting how Ulrika was not really described until her chapter. Separately this was just first book that took place in Sweden. Their rules for court were interesting. I can hardly think of a flaw in this book, it’s just that good. But nothing can be perfect so here is a list of some flaws:
1. Although there was a decent amount of closure I wish there was another epilogue that explained what happened after the trial. It’s not like there’s gonna be a sequel. Readers want to know what happens to the characters AFTER all the murder and stuff. Authors these days.
1. Although there was a decent amount of closure I wish there was another epilogue that explained what happened after the trial. It’s not like there’s gonna be a sequel. Readers want to know what happens to the characters AFTER all the murder and stuff. Authors these days.
jackyobrien6's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting thriller about a family rocked when the daughter is accused of murder. I was loving it until the chapters with the mother, where it started getting more and more far fetched. But I did stick with it to see "who dun it" and was still surprised by the end. Not sure how I feel about the final conviction but it was a fun ride.
_alyssabrown's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me a lot longer to read than I had expected, especially since I’m quarantined to my house and don’t have anything else to do. When I first started reading, I just couldn’t get into it. TBH, I found the father’s perspective kinda boring and I couldn’t help but get annoyed by some of his actions. I did enjoy Stella’s perspective because I felt like I could relate more to her. Also since the story revolves around her life, I found it more interesting and it kept me wanting more. The mom’s perspective was surprising just because that’s where all the pieces finally start coming together. Overall, I didn’t mind that it was told by three different perspectives, I just wish that it started out more interesting and was able to catch my attention quicker.
mcnaughtreading's review against another edition
4.0
Stella just turned 18 and somehow she finds herself accused of murdering a 32 year old man at the neighborhood playground. A Nearly Normal Family is told from the perspective of Stella, her father the pastor (personally my least favorite part I found him to be annoyingly clueless), and her mother a defense attorney.
This is less of an action packed thriller and more of a character study. Still, the interesting mystery and multiple perspectives will definitely keep you turning pages. It’ll also make you think about truth and the various versions of it that can exist within the same reality.
This is less of an action packed thriller and more of a character study. Still, the interesting mystery and multiple perspectives will definitely keep you turning pages. It’ll also make you think about truth and the various versions of it that can exist within the same reality.
readingnookreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I knew I wanted to read this book when I saw the cover (I know I know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but it’s hard not to!). I love domestic/legal thrillers with multiple POVs and this one kept me guessing till the last page. How far would you go to protect the ones you love? What is a lie? Who in this book is telling the truth? What IS the truth!? Although I didn’t grow attached to any of the characters in particular, I did enjoy the family dynamic and complexities of their relationships with each other. The beginning was a little slow for me and I found the dad’s POV to be a bit repetitive, but overall I enjoyed the story-line immensely! I look forward to more books by this author and books published by Celadon Books. Release date for A Nearly Normal Family is 6/25/19. Thank you to Bookish First, Celadon Books, and M.T. Edvardsson for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
cassies_books_reviews's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved everything about this book. The authors writing was amazing and I enjoyed how it was split into three sections with three point of views. The book opens with the father Adam whose a pastor discussing how the family is like any other family. He’s finally feels closer to his wife Ulrika and they just celebrated their daughter Stella turning eighteen. Their relationship hasn’t always been easy Stella has discovered her freedom , she’s had some trouble in school and she just wants to spend time with best friend Amina , but life seems perfect right now. Until the fateful night. Stella comes home late and the body of Chris Olson has been found stabbed and bloody at-a playground. An eye witness puts Stella there and she’s arrested on suspicion of murder. The second part is told in Stella’s point of view and what led to her arrest and her connection to Chris. The final part is told in her mother’s point of view and the final courtroom scene. I loved how each persons recollects what happened before and after the killing. We really get to know each character and their flaws and what they have done to protect their family. I was completely engrossed from the moment I opened the book until the final page. It honestly had me question what lengths I would go to protect my own child. It will have you guessing with every turn of the page. The more I read the more my opinion changed of Stella especially when she tells her story. There is a trigger scene I won’t dive in to much but it does include sexual assault. A huge thank you to the publisher for my advance copy! I give this book four stars!! Add to your tbr ASAP!